The current research project in being run in
partnership with Durham University, particularly the Centre for
Catholic Studies, in the Department of Theology and Religion,
which has played a key role in the current celebrations and
reburial of Richard III at Leicester Cathedral this
week.

A fifteenth-century vestment, now
at Ushaw College, Durham, was worn by Cardinal Nichol, Archbishop of Westminster and
President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and
Wales.

The vestment, which may
have been seen by King Richard himself, was originally worn by the Benedictine
monks of Westminster Abbey during the reign of King Richard, who
died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and whose remains were
discovered beneath a Leicester car park in 2012.

Scholars say its embroidery is the same
described by the inventories of his royal wardrobe and that it
dates from the third quarter of the 15th century. Ushaw
College president Monsignor John Marsland: "The trustees of
Ushaw are delighted that the Westminster Chasuble will be worn by
Cardinal Nichols at the requiem mass. It's a wonderful occasion to
show it off. "We are
very pleased to contribute to the celebrations surrounding the
reburial of Richard III. "The Westminster chasuble is one of the
oldest vestments at Ushaw. "We respect the tradition conveyed to
us through the Walton family - who gave the vestment to Ushaw in
1867 - that it had been in use at Westminster Abbey prior to the
Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. This links us to our
Catholic past before the opening of Ushaw in 1808, and before the
foundation of Douai in 1568."

He added: "The Westminster vestment together
with many other artefacts we hold contributes to the richness of
our heritage at Ushaw. "At
present, we are opening our doors to events and visits at Ushaw so
that our rich heritage can be made available to the broader
community."

The Westminster Vestment is an example of
Opus Anglicanum (English work), the rich, complex and beautiful
works of ecclesiastical embroidery for which England was famous
during the Middle Ages. It
has been made from velvet cloths of tissue linked together with
silver-gilt brocading thread, with the figures cut from coloured
silks and attached to a golden background. The chasuble depicts the Crucified
Christ with the Roman soldier Longinus expressing his belief that
Jesus is the "Son of God". It features depictions of St Nicholas,
St Catherine and St Pancras, the teenage Roman martyr whose relics
were brought to England by St Augustine of Canterbury.

The
vestment also features in a new publication, edited by
Dr James Kelly of Durham University, highlighting the
little-known vast range of treasures, artefacts, books and other
precious object that survive at Ushaw College. 'Treasures of Ushaw
College' is available
here.